Track Bashkim’s changes through the course of the text. Does Bashkim retain his positive sense of self, or does tragedy alter him in negative ways? Use examples that demonstrate how he evolves throughout the novel.

In what ways does Luis’s character challenge the models of toxic masculinity set forth by other male characters in the book? How does his growth represent a different type of manhood? Why is his character an important male figure for Bashkim?

What does Avis’s life story provide her character in the present? How does her past influence her current conflicts? Why do you think the author included so many references to her memories of Sharlene, Rodney, and childhood? In what ways does her traumatic past help her?